The Book of Koss
by EeveelutionEllie
Summary: Before her birth, a young girl named Mia had a monster sealed within her unborn self. Koss, as he is later named, is not at all pleased about the arrangement, but is forced to make due with the hand fate has dealt him. Now teaming up with a party of four, how will Koss and Mia co-operate with these strange adventurer's when they cannot even co-operate with each other?
1. Prologue: Mia

**AN: Hey there! This story is actually based on a session that my gm is running right now. Mia and Koss are my characters and they function like a synthesist summoner would, well, mostly. There are some changes (More to tone them down than anything) and a lot more of a relationship between the two. I hope this isn't too confusing for people who play dnd as the way we approach Mia and Koss is different than anything I've ever seen (and required some home made rules). Here's to hoping you guys will be able to pick it up as we go along! On a final note, this is just a prologue, introducing Mia's backstory. The next chapter will be a continuation of the prologue but it will be Koss's perspective, then we'll get into the actual story which is, as far as I've planned, all from Koss's point of view. Without further delay, please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Prologue: Mia**

She could say that it happened too quickly, that she hadn't been thinking, but even now she didn't regret it. The child she had been growing for over six months now, was not the result of love for the man sitting next to her. It was a different man, a new face amongst all those who were familiar, and she thought for the first time, she had found love. Real love, like they talked about in storybooks and children's tales, not the sort she had for her partner. Not the sort bred from desperation, for fear of living your life with no one. But the man had disappeared after that night, leaving only memories, and a child in his wake. His child. Her fourth born child.

The Guts of Pezzack were no place to raise children. The underground tunnel system was dirty and dark, and those who lived there were poor and desperate. Those who wandered without their guard up would not survive. She was fortunate, for both her and her husband could fight. Not strong enough to leave, but not weak enough to be killed. She remained careful, in these tunnels she called home, as she's seen the hard way the dangers that can lurk within. When her second born child, a son, was only 10 years old, he got away from her. She searched for him in the tunnels, but it wasn't until days later that she found the corpse. He was bright, she had thought, but not smart enough to stay by her side. A pity. Her first born son had taken the loss badly.

"Ironic we live in The Guts", he would say, "Considering how cowardly we all are! Too cowardly to leave".

"Then go" she would reply. "Leave if you so choose, but with no money and no connections, how will you survive, I wonder?"

"Better than I did here" he would say.

He did leave, she supposed she should have seen it coming, but she hadn't. She hadn't thought he would really go. He was probably dead, she figured, but sometimes she liked to think about what it would be like if he had made something of himself. Perhaps he was happy, somehow? A nice thought.

Her third son was a frail child, prone to sickness, the weakest child of the three. Strange that her weakest child would be the only one still with her now.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a voice, "It won't happen again, Orna. We won't let it. Not again", he told her. She knew, of course, what he was talking about. Orna and Kemex were sorcerers, obsessive over their magic, and the possibility of their escape from The Guts, if they had a strong child to help them fight up above. Three children had been born, and not a single one was a sorcerer. Three children, three disappointments, so Kemex made a plan to ensure this child would be born _right._ They made a plan to infuse strong magical power into the baby, before it was born. This idea would normally have pleased Orna, but not this time. Not with this kid. If the child survived, it would most certainly be a sorcerer, a child she could be proud of. If they died, however, she would lose the only thing she had left of _him._ The thought made her sick. She couldn't refuse her husband's plan, if she did, he would know something was wrong. He would find out what she had done. She was certain. So, she agreed, and every night she would pray to a god who may not even be able to listen. She would pray to Aroden, the only god she had ever known.

She waited nervously as her husband prepared himself for the stressful task. He would summon a magical being forth, and seal its magic within the child. It would work, she told herself. It had to. He had used the spells before, in earlier days. In an earlier life. It would work. So, as he began his summoning spell, she attempted to calm her nerves. One error, one tiny mistake in his casting was all it took for the summoning to go wrong. She didn't need to see the look on his face to know that what came forward was not what he had tried to call. A purple magic flared to life, lighting the tight tunnels in its fire like glow. The energy seeped into everything, every crack and corner, licking her skin and leaving shallow cuts on her face and arms. She had never seen energy like this, and at the center of it all, a tall creature, hunched to fit in the pipes, sharp claws braced, wide smile and glowing eyes, stood between her and her husband. He looked to her hungrily, his tongue, impossibly long, creeping in and out of his mouth like a snake tasting the air.

"You summoned me" he spoke, his voice deep and gruff, cutting through the tunnels like a hot

knife. "Lets have some fun".

She watched, unable to move, unable to speak, as the _thing_ crept towards her. She was caught in a daze as the monster reached for her with its claws, not looking to kill, simply to hurt. To toy with her for a while. She heard Kemex speaking over the bellowing sound of magic, casting his sealing spell.

"NO!" She screamed. Whatever this thing was, she didn't want its magic in her child. She didn't want the last good thing left to be killed by this freaks power. Kemex didn't stop though, the beast giving a roar of anger and pain as white magic rushed forward towards it, and towards her.

"I will kill you!" The thing growled, whipping around with a speed she couldn't quite keep up with. It leapt at Kemex with the rage of a demon and the grace of a panther. The beast's sharp claws raked along Kemex's torso, blood oozing out of the fresh wounds. Even so, Kemex didn't stop casting his spell. Under Orna, a white magical circle formed, and a second later, a similar one appeared under the monster. It growled again, an even stronger magic pulsing out of it like waves in an ocean. She saw the purple approaching her like the cold hands of death. Fitting, as in those moments, it was death that she saw. Her own, at first, her body was cut and bruised and left in these damned pipes to rot and then be forgotten. She saw her children, her second born's body. Her first born child, most likely dead now, killed by people who would never know him. People who more than likely didn't even bother to know his name. She saw the man too; did he know what she had allowed to happen to their child? Her body shook from pain, her mind filled with memory after agonizing memory, and then she was in the tunnels again. No purple, no monster, just the tunnels, her, and her husband.

As luck would have it, the child did survive. She was named Mia, as was Orna's last wish. It was a difficult birth, and whatever had allowed Orna to safely deliver three children prior, did not aid her for her fourth. Perhaps if things were different, they could have found medical help. Perhaps Orna would have lived. In The Guts, there were few medics, and none who worked for free. And so Kemex raised Mia and Ash (his third born son) to the best of his ability, waiting to see what power Mia may have gained. The answer was not what he had hoped it would be. When Mia was two, she attempted to kill him. Anger was replaced with fear as he saw the red glow in her eyes, and the wicked smile on her face. He kept Mia away from Ash after that, thinking over what happened. Results of the powerful dark magic, perhaps? A problem he thought may be solvable, until Mia turned three. For the first time, the voice that spoke was not Mia's. He would never forget that voice, even more haunting now, coming from his child.

"How long do you think you have?" The voice asked, "Until I can get a strike in?" Mia, no, whoever this was, began to giggle, a mockery of the innocence a child should have. "How long?"

From then on, Kemex taught Mia everything he could think of, that would help keep the monster at bay.

"You can't let it out" he told her one day, "Or it will destroy everything. Do you understand?"

"Yas!" Mia responded, eager to please her father. "Is it bah?"

"Yes" her father replied. "It's very bad"

"But daddah, he says he nice" she pouted.

This brought Kemex pause. He stared at her a moment, and then slowly, "He speaks to you, Mia?"

"Yah" She bounced happily. "He want to play but daddah says he can't so I don't let 'im"

"Listen Mia" Kemex spoke seriously, commanding her attention. "You must never listen to that voice. He's lying, and if you listen to him, he will hurt people. Do you understand me?"

"Lie is bah" Mia said solemnly, "I no listen to bah guy!"

Kemex deflated, letting the tension seep out of him, "Good" he sighed, "Very good"

When Kemex would leave their living area, (a series of cavernous gouges in the stone walls, resembling rooms, with a pipe leading out and into the rest of the underground network) sometimes to visit the market, (a large [for them] area where pipes would lead into, and out of) Mia would sneak in to see her brother. Age had not helped Ash at all, in fact, his frailty had grown worse. The young man, now 13 years old, was constantly sick. His skin appeared to be paper thin, and he could hardly move, most days. Mia would sit near his side, and Ash would tell her stories of a beautiful world outside of The Guts. A world above where they were, with bright lights and heroic adventures awaiting around every corner. Stories his eldest brother, Alder, had told him before he had left all those years ago. Mia would listen, enthralled with the tales.

"We'll go there one day" He would often tell her. "We'll leave this place like Alder did, when I'm well enough to walk"

"They have good medicine for you?" Mia would ask.

"Yeah" Ash would smile. "Yeah. They'll have it all"

'He will _turn_ to ash before he is able to walk, with his health' the voice growled, 'Leave him behind'

Mia would ignore the voice, like her father had taught her to. She prepared herself for the strong pull in her mind that would come from ignoring the being within her. The presence tried to fight her, to force its way out, but Mia fought back. She saw Ash, smiling up at the ceiling, and she felt a bit stronger. She was fighting to keep him safe. The voice went silent.

At the age of six, Kemex tried to teach Mia how to control her magic. She had not exhibited any signs of being a sorcerer, but Kemex hoped that if they started training, her magic would surge forward and Mia would prove to have fulfilled their original intention. Days turned into weeks, then months, but Mia was still unable to cast. Frustrated, not only that another child had failed to live up to his expectations, but also that his wife had died trying to ensure Mia would be a sorcerer, He began working with her relentlessly, trying to make something that didn't exist work.

Some years later, when Mia was eight, she was awoken from her sleep by a light emanating from the pipes that lead to the main cavern of her home. Intrigued by the soft green glowing, Mia wandered towards it. She saw a man, the light radiating off of his skin. Some sort of spell perhaps? She wasn't sure. The man walked towards her, kneeling down to her height. They stared at each other for a few moments. He was the strangest thing Mia had ever seen (not that she had seen anything outside of her home). He was a tall slender man, with high cheekbones and long white hair, some of which was tied back. His eyes were a pale green, almost white, she noted, but strangest of all were his ears, long and pointed at the tips. Mia had never seen ears like those before, not on her, or the two men she lived with. The man frowned for a moment, staring intently at her. She could feel something within her, not the same feeling she got when the presence tried to break free, but a warm feeling, like something strong was surging through her, searching.

'Intrusive twit' the voice snarled suddenly, causing Mia to jump slightly.

The man smiled at her.

"My name is Paeris" He told her, voice smooth as silk, a stark contrast to the voices of the only other men she had ever known. Even Ash, frail as he was, had an edge to his voice, often abused to inflate the grandiose details of his latest story (many of which he would make up, ever since he ran out of stories left behind by Alder).

"I'm Mia" The young girl responded, smiling widely at the man. He seemed nice, as far as she could tell.

"Well, Mia, I've been looking to pass my knowledge onto a bright young mind, and you seem like a smart girl. How would you feel about learning to use magic the same way I do?" He asked her.

"Dad's been teaching me magic already" Mia replied, frowning slightly at the thought of the difficult lessons she'd had to endure over the last few years.

'Teaching?' The voice barked, 'He is an idiot, trying to teach a frog a dog's tricks. You are no sorcerer'

Paeris's smile fell for a moment, before it came back in full. "This is a special magic" he told her, "I don't think your father could teach it to you, but I think it would be good for you to learn" He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly, "Both of you"

Mia froze at the man's words, was he a friend of her father's? "How could you-"

"I saw it" he replied, "when you were staring at me, I saw it"

Mia looked away, biting her lip and shifting nervously from foot to foot. The voice didn't respond to that, but she could feel the presence stirring, sizing the man up, weighing his words. Should she allow the man to teach her his magic? She wasn't getting anywhere with her father's lessons, but she didn't know this man, not really. What would Ash recommend she do? She wasn't sure, but this man, so powerful and foreign to her, he sure seemed to resemble one of the heroes from the stories she had been told.

"I would like it, if you would teach me" Mia decided. She would get strong, so that when Ash got better, she would be able to get them both away from here.

He smiled at her, "I'm glad" he told her, "Oh, and one more thing. You cannot tell anyone about my coming here, or the magic I'm going to show you. Let it remain between us"

"Not even my brother, Ash?" Mia pouted, crossing her arms in frustration.

Paeris looked away for a moment, then back to Mia, "No" he told her sadly, "Not even him"

Mia deflated slightly, but nodded anyways, "I won't tell" she promised, "Not even Ash"

"Good" Paeris smiled, "Sleep now, tomorrow evening I'll return here, and we'll begin"

Mia nodded, watching as the man got up and walked back through the pipes. He looked back at her once before turning out of sight. Mia stared until the glow no longer reflected off the sides of the pipes. She stood, heading back to her room, and at an attempt to sleep.

The next morning, Mia thought about the man that had visited her. She thought of how reckless she had been, speaking to a stranger like that. She should have woken her father when she saw the lights. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to break her promise to Paeris. She would keep him, and whatever magic he would teach her a secret so long as she thought it safe to do so. She knew deep down that was the right thing to do. The voice inside her silently agreed, a new magic, now this could get interesting.

That night, Mia waited until her family fell asleep, and then she snuck out to wait for Paeris. When he arrived, just as strange as he had been the first night, he beckoned her to follow him.

"Why are we leaving?" Mia asked him.

'Are you stupid? We would alert your family, if we tried to practice magic so near to them' The voice snickered.

"It may be noisy" Paeris replied, "I'm going to bring us somewhere where we won't be able to disturb anyone"

Mia's cheeks turned red, flushed with embarrassment, but she ignored it. She wasn't supposed to let the voice make her feel bad.

Paeris lead them through twists and turns, travelling for what felt to Mia like forever. They arrived to a decently large room, older than her own home, if the state of the pipes they had walked through were any indication. Paeris began explaining the magic he would be teaching her.

"Summoning magic?" Mia asked him.

"Yes" Paeris replied, "There's two in your body, and this is good for you both"

"Dad says I should ignore the voice, that it's dangerous" Mia said seriously.

"Dangerous or not, it's going to be with you for the rest of your life" Paeris told her, "It will be much easier, if you operate under common grounds, no?"

The voice hummed thoughtfully in Mia's mind, he didn't care if he worked with the girl, so long as the common ground was _his_ common ground. It had been so very long since he had done anything at all.

Mia thought this over, too. "Maybe you're right" she relented, "I'd like to think we could be friends, one day"

The voice snorted at that, 'Do not push it' he warned her, 'I just want a chance to spread my legs'

Mia and the voice worked with Paeris every night since then. They would meet at Mia's home, make the walk to Paeris's selected training grounds, and early in the morning, before her father would awake, she would sneak back and sleep away the last hours of the morning.

For the next two years, Mia began learning spells and summons. She realized that some of the spells Paeris had taught her, her father was also desperately trying to get her to learn as a sorcerer. Her father had become cruel and tough, desperate for anything, so Mia had cast some of her summoner spells, in an attempt to appease him. Her father lit up in a way she could never remember seeing before. She was a sorcerer, he had thought, Orna had not died for nothing. They had done it. What Mia had thought would make things easier, had, in reality made things more difficult. Her father would get angrier when she couldn't cast a spell, even going as far as to punish her. He would cut her food rations down, something that didn't escape the notice of Paeris, who began bringing meals to their late-night lessons.

When her father left to gather supplies, stealing more often than buying, Mia would visit Ash. She missed these times, where her and her brother could talk and forget about the pipes and the darkness and their father. Ash would congratulate Mia on her 'sorceress blood' and Mia would tell Ash about what they could do when they finally got above ground. She'd tell him how she would protect him, and provide for them. Ash would smile at her.

"I'd like that, Mia"

For a while, Mia, the voice and Paeris worked on spells. When she was able to cast to Paeris's satisfaction, they started working on fusing.

"Most Summoner's have an Eidolon, and some special summoner's can fuse with them" Paeris informed her, "You don't have an Eidolon, but that's no problem. What you do have is something better"

"Better?" Mia questioned.

She could practically feel the voice puff up, 'better' it agreed smugly.

"Whatever's inside of you is very strong" Paris commented, "It would appear as though whatever link he has with you, allows him to act in a similar manner to an Eidolon. Working together, you could find a strength that not I, nor anyone I've ever known has had"

Between spells and fusing with her voice, sharing dreams with her brother and 'training' under her father, the next few years followed a fairly repetitive, but comfortable course. Things began to change when she was sixteen.

Paeris arrived in the pipes leading out of her home, she stood, ready to leave but he raised his hand to stop her.

"You've learned a lot, in these years" He said to her, pride leaking into his voice, "You've learned your spells well, and you can fuse easily, when you're willing to do so. I feel confident that you'll do well, now"

"What do you mean?" Mia asked, fear creeping into her very being. Was he leaving?

"I had hoped to stay longer, to teach you more, but something I hadn't anticipated came up, and I need to leave" Paeris apologized, "I'm sorry"

Mia stood shocked until her shoulders began to shake and tears sprang to her eyes. She launched forward, hugging the man tightly. He held her, letting her cry.

"I'm sorry" he repeated, a noticeable quiver tinting his voice as he held back his own tears, "I'm sorry. You're a strong girl Mia, you'll be okay"

"Thank you" she sobbed, "For everything"

He released her, then pulled something out of the bag he wore on his back. At first Mia thought it was food, as it usually was, but what he handed her was a small orb, swirling with a powerful magic.

"You will know what it does when you need to use it" He told her, "My last gift to you"

She stared at it for a moment, "Thank you" she repeated, looking into the beautiful object.

"One more thing" Paeris started, "I know how hard it is, but try and get along. You're so much stronger together, and happiness will come easier if you aren't constantly fighting"

With that, he hugged her again, then turn down the pipes, and, not for the first time, he left a girl who meant the world to him behind. Mia cried for weeks after that. Sometimes, at night, she would sit near the pipes, hoping to see the glow that often accompanied him before he poked out around the corner, but he never did show. She ended up telling Ash about the man, that made things a little easier, to have someone understand. Her father left her alone for a while, not knowing what had so thoroughly upset her, but afraid that if he pushed the matter, he would lose another child. Ash's condition continued to worsen over the next few years, it seemed some days that his survival was a miracle, but it didn't last forever. When Mia was eighteen, Ash passed away, and she felt like she had officially lost everything. She and her father lived uneasily alongside each other, but she couldn't stand living with just the two of them. When she was nineteen, she decided she would fulfill her and Ash's dream of escaping to the world above. She began planning how she would navigate the pipes and find a way to the surface. She figured that even dying trying to find her way was preferable to suffering where she was, so she readied herself and made to leave. Her father pulled her back in, of course, and Mia turned to him.

"I'm leaving" She told him.

"No" Kemex snarled, "Why can't you children see, people like us don't belong up there. You have no money, your sorcery is weak, they'll kill you if you leave"

"Let go" Mia replied, "I'm leaving"

She ripped her arm out of his grasp, turning her back when she felt something push her backwards. She turned to her father, holding his gaze for a moment.

"If you try to stop me, I'll be forced to fight you" Mia told him, "I'm going up there, whether you like it or not. There's someone I need to find"

"He's dead!" Kemex yelled, "There's nothing for you up there"

Mia bit her tongue; her father didn't need to know that Alder wasn't the only person she would be searching for.

"I'm going" she repeated.

Before she could move, Kemex cast a slippery substance which coated the ground, preventing movement, less she want to fall. Just as quickly, she cast her own summoning spell, eagles fluttering forth, clawing with their feet. Her father roared, a flow of water forming a circular bubble and trapping the birds inside. With the low ceiling, they had no chance of evading it. Mia stepped back, forgetting about the grease under her feet. She slipped, coating herself in the substance.

"I didn't teach you that spell" Kemex remarked darkly, "So who did?"

Mia bit her tongue for the second time that day, unwilling to justify the lie she had been keeping for the last 11 years. She didn't feel she should have to. Kemex frowned, a growl escaping his throat.

"How long have you been lying to me?" He snarled, "You're no daughter of mine"

She had no time to react as the fire came towards her, not only hitting her with its force, but lighting the grease that covered her. She screamed as the flames danced over her skin, but the pain didn't last. The orb she had kept hidden on her person began to glow brightly, covering her and dousing the flame. Her wounds healed over, the burnt skin melding together as if it had never parted, but most interestingly the voice in her head felt _power_.

'I will help you, this time. I have a score to settle with him, anyways' The presence said, she could hear the joy in his voice. Mia remembered Paeris's words, about working with the being inside her mind.

'This time' she relented, and then after a slight pause, 'Thank you, Koss'

'Koss?' He questioned.

'Everyone needs a name' Mia told him, 'do you like that one?'

'I do not care what you call me' Koss snarled at her, 'It is my turn' He let the strong magic flow through him and force a normally long change into something instant. He emerged, thrusting Mia out of her own body, and hovering over her shoulder in an only partially physical form. Kemex stepped back as Koss stepped forward.

'I missed you, old man' The former voice boomed, 'We can finally catch up on old times'

Kemex screamed out in horror as one of the monster's claws scraped against the wall, screeching with an unholy sound. His second claw sped out with a reach beyond possibility, grabbing Kemex and pulling him inwards, that awful purple magic filling his vision, and his senses.

Koss's rampage continued throughout The Guts, slaughtering anyone in his path. It wasn't instant, but the monster did eventually find the exit, stepping out into the light. The sun was bright and cheery, too cheery in his opinion, but he soaked in the change of scenery anyways. A whole new world with a whole lotta blood. It didn't take long for him to be noticed and so he continued his rampage above ground too, in what was, unknown to him, Pezzack. He slashed with his claws, ripping the surrounding persons to pieces. He heard cries, theirs, and laughter, his own. He saw red everywhere he looked. 'How can we make this more interesting?' he wondered. And then he saw it, like a shining new toy calling to him. Fastened to the back of a travelling orc, was the sweetest axe he had ever seen. He could feel the magic within it, syncing with his own. That was his axe, now, he decided. The orc saw the monster coming, he readied the weapon, prepared to fight. He was no challenge, Koss ripped the handle from his grip, cutting the orc down with his own axe. A sick sort of satisfaction surged through him, and he readied his new weapon. A crowd had gathered, many of them closing in, trying to stop him. He grinned widely, raising his axe, and then he was gone. The weapon, still clutched in Mia's hand, dragged on the ground, too heavy for her to carry. She blinked wearily.

"I- I didn't mean to-" She started quietly, looking at the fallen bodies littered around her, "I didn't mean to-"

'You stupid, stupid girl!' Koss roared within her, rage filling every inch of his being, 'I do not need the interference of a moody child!'

But Mia didn't hear him, she saw the blood and the bodies, and the people closing in on her, ready to take her, kill her even. She saw magic swirl around her, snapping her to attention. She clung to the magic surging out of the orb she had kept, desperate to focus on anything that wasn't the bodies surrounding her. She saw white fill her vision, blinding her, and then she was somewhere else. Large green formations surrounded her, she could see the light up above that Ash had often spoken about, and for a moment she imagined he was there with her, looking up. She could feel Koss at the back of her mind, seething, but she ignored him, like she once had before. She didn't want to think of him, of the bodies, of what he had made her do. She would find Paeris, she decided, and later, when she was ready to return, she would search for Alder as well. She ran from that place, the broken shards of a forgotten orb spilling onto the ground, and a distorted shadow casting a monstrous form under her feet.


	2. Prologue: Koss

**Alright, here's the second part of the prologue, all in Koss's POV. Let me know what you think, I always wonder if the writing is too confusing for anyone who isn't me to understand. Stay tuned for another chapter next week!**

* * *

 **Prologue: Koss**

He did not remember much, to his dismay. His earliest memories were the only ones he had of a life on his own, separate from the brat he resided within. He remembered a man and women, and a flair of purple and white, and then it was dark and his mind was not his own anymore. The magic that had sealed him away, had taken most of his memories with it. He did not know who he was, but most upsettingly to him, perhaps, he did not know _what_ he was. To say he was furious would be an understatement, but there was not much he could do at the moment. The being that would later be known as Koss waited, dormant until a time he could come forward.

* * *

That time did come, what he guessed by the brat's size (Koss did not bother with names, instead committing physical features to his mind in order to remember who someone is) was two years later (How did anyone in these blasted pipes keep track of the date anyways?). She was not large, he had noted, but she was big enough to walk. Big enough to pull away the dagger her father kept on him, and cut deeply into his flesh. Koss pushed the girl away, taking control of her small body. She resisted, he noted, but she was too young to stop him, too young to understand what was happening. He crept towards the man, pulling the dagger out from his waistband, slowly, methodically. The man moved, shifting in his sleep, the dagger being forced down, too unexpectedly for Koss to catch. It was not a loud sound, a soft _clink_ echoing on the stone floor, but it was enough. The man bolted upwards, turning towards what he thought to be his child. Koss raised the blade quickly, smile splitting his face, _he would not miss his chance._ The blade did not connect, the man grabbed Mia's arm, prying the blade from her fingers. Koss was strong, but Mia was not, her body still young and weak. He had no hope of fighting the man off now. He growled in frustration, releasing control of the body as soon as the handle had fully left Mia's fingertips, as soon as his window had closed. He fumed, definitely not sulking, and decided he would have to rethink his strategy.

As it would turn out, that was easier said than done. The old man warned his child against him, and try as he might to fool the short idiot, her loyalty to the man far surpassed her loyalty for him. She became more resistant to his control, infuriating Koss further. Stuck in the body of this petulant child and these small tunnels (as much as he tried, the tiny human refused to explore the pipes outside of her living quarters), Koss was quick to lose his temper. To make matters worse, he would often have to sit through the dying boys never ending stories and tales. Koss thought he remembered the world above, as though he had seen it in a life he no longer had, but his roommate refused to go there while her brother was ill, and (something he was admittedly embarrassed about) he found it harder and harder to fight her with every passing day.

* * *

It turned out that there was more than one reason to hate the old man. Aside from being a nuisance, he was also an idiot. The girl did not understand why she was not able to perform the magic she was being taught, but he did. She was not a sorcerer, Koss had checked when he was first sealed within her, she was frighteningly unremarkable, but not totally human, he had noted. Whatever inhuman genes that ran through her were so weak, he could not pinpoint its origin, but it was not human. That aside, she was certainly not a sorcerer. The next few years were extremely frustrating. 'She. Is not. A. Sorcerer.' He would think to himself every time she failed a spell, Was the man really so blind? Boring, too, nothing in this hell hole was interesting. Koss was certain he would drive himself mad here, or at least, madder than he was.

* * *

The child noticed it first, mesmerized by it. Curious, Koss too directed his attention towards the lights wandering through the pipes. Something to kill? Something to do? Koss did not care, so long as it was something _interesting_. It turns out the light was caused by a man. He certainly looked interesting, perhaps Koss had seen someone like him in a life before the pipes, but he could not remember it now. The small girl and tall man stared at each other for a while, before Koss felt the magic course through Mia's body.

'Intrusive twit' He snarled, as the man's magic brushed against his own. If the tall stranger was worth anything, he would have noticed Koss's presence. How annoying. The human jumped at his sudden comment and that made Koss feel a little better. Serves her right, for ignoring him all the time.

The man _was_ worth something, apparently, as Koss's presence was called to attention. Koss chewed on that for a moment. The stranger seemed strong and attuned, someone Koss felt the need to watch. Even more suspicious was when the man offered to teach magic, not just to the pathetic girl, but to him as well. Why was the man there? Why offer to teach them? Regardless, a chance to take control again, to remedy his never-ending boredom, he certainly would not refuse the offer.

The small human irritated him to no end, especially when they were meant to work together, trying to perfect something the tall one had called "synthesist", or something along those lines. Koss would admit, begrudgingly, however, that the girl was a remarkably quick study. Smart in some ways, dull in most, he would note. He had come to find that fusing with the girl would give him strength he normally didn't have, and though he kept it a secret, he found that, with some time and force, he could over power the child and force a fusion. He wouldn't blow it, like he had done when the girl was even smaller. He would practice this skill on his own, and when he was confident about it, he would take control. All he needed was practice.

Koss's secret training was helped along nicely by the tall man, who would answer any questions Koss would present. "Where is your Eidolon?" Koss had once inquired, curiosity getting the best of him, "Decided you were not worth its time?"

The tall one smiled at him, Koss hated that, as if he was some pawn who could be won over like the pathetic girl he shared his space with. "Not quite" He told Koss, "My Eidolon isn't needed for you and Mia to learn what I'm teaching"

Surely it would help, Koss had wondered, to know what they were trying to achieve, to see what it looked like in practice, but he did not say any more about it. He had no desire to create small talk with the annoying non-human (Either that, or a seriously disfigured human. Koss thought the second option was infinitely funnier, but also highly unlikely).

* * *

When the girl had grown into, not quite a woman, but certainly not a child, the tall man told them he would be leaving. Abrupt, Koss had thought, what could be so important that he would leave a child he had been training for, what, seven years? Eight? (Seriously, these idiots needed to start keeping calendars). Regardless, Koss had learned all he needed. What the tall man did now was not his concern anymore.

The young women was in upset after that, for years, as far as Koss could tell, and those were perhaps the worst years he could remember. The moping was bad, but the crying, did this girl ever shut it? On and on and on, and just as Koss thought he might get some peace, that weak twig the girl would sit by passed away and it was like crumbling walls. The girl broke down, depressed past anything Koss had dealt with before. He was sure that if the activity in their mind could be recorded, they would be deemed insane. Between her crying and mumbling, and his cursing and screaming, they truly were a mess. And then the girl did something unexpected, in a rare moment of action that Koss would approve of, she decided to leave the pipes. The man who helped birth her (from what Koss had pieced together from his, admittedly, low interest in the twos conversations) attempted to stop her. She was in trouble, Koss had noted, and he wondered briefly what would happen to him if the girl was to die, and then there was a glow and power, so much _power,_ and if there was a moment Koss had been waiting for all these years, now was it.

'I will help you, this time. I have a score to settle with him, anyways' Koss told her, excitement filling him for the first time, in a long time.

'This time' the girl agreed, and he could not even bring himself to be angry at the insinuation she was making. As if he _needed_ her permission. 'Thank you, Koss'

This caught him off guard, 'Koss?' He questioned.

'Everyone needs a name' She told him, 'do you like that one?'

He did not work with names, perhaps that had something to do with the race he belong to, or perhaps it was just his own habit. He did not remember her name and in all honesty, he probably would not remember his own, if she gave him one. It seemed like there could be upsides to having a name to go by, however. Everyone in this world appeared to use one.

'I do not care what you call me' Koss snarled at her, 'It is my turn' He let the strong magic flow through him and force a normally long change into something instant. He emerged, thrusting the girl out of her own body, and hovering over her shoulder in an only partially physical form. The man stepped back as Koss stepped forward.

'I missed you, old man' Koss told him, 'We can finally catch up on old times'

The rest passed by in a bit of a blur. He remembered blood, and tunnels, he remembered seeing blue above, some part of his broken memory forming a word for it, the sky. And there was an axe, perhaps the only thing his vision saw clearly, and he wanted it. _His,_ he decided. Blood, another body, and then he was poised, ready to attack with a weapon in hand. The fight created adrenaline within him, the prospect of a fresh kill practically causing him to salivate, and then he was back in his mind, viewing things through the girl as he usually did, and his confusion was quickly overrun by anger. He had thought he was strong enough. He had thought he could keep her at bay.

'You stupid, stupid girl!' Koss roared within her, rage filling every inch of his being, 'I do not need the interference of a moody child!'

He continued to curse and scream, pushing and pulling at her will, trying to break free again, but to no avail. He saw the white surrounding them, transferring them to somewhere else, outside of the town they had been in, he figured. Away from the fresh meat. Away from the kill. And just like that his rage was sparked again, rage at the girl, and rage at the tall man. It figures that the last gift, the orb, that the man had given to his disappointing charge would ruin any remaining chance at a fight. Not for the first time, everything was taken. His body, his past, his freedom, his kill. Koss slunk back and seethed. At least they were out of those damned tunnels.


	3. Chapter 1: A Girl A-Koss-ted

**AN: Here's the first official chapter! Make sure to read the prologue's if you haven't already, as the story may make more sense that way. Please enjoy!**

She had been searching for a long time and, despite the fact that he would never admit it, Koss was impressed. She was a determined girl, if nothing else. Regardless of this, finding a man when you only know their first name and race (that of which took her some time to figure out) was, apparently, not an easy task. Even harder for his charge, evidently, as her memory was less than desirable. More than once, Koss would calmly (depending on who you asked) remind the girl of some forgotten detail. Locations, directions, leads, although her complete helplessness was amusing at first, it quickly became irritating. Not only was their aimless wandering boring, but also dangerous. She would get lost easily, and she was far too willing to approach strangers for Koss's comfort. It was not just _her_ well-being on the line here, after all.

As it would turn out, other people were far too willing to approach them as well. Not for the first time, a strange man would turn up and offer a suspiciously kind request to something better. A smith's son, as far as Koss had payed attention to notice (why it was relevant to tell them this, he still did not know. Perhaps the surface walkers were simply strange like that?) had offered them the chance to join a group of adventurers who were opposing some strong magic user (which, admittedly, had Koss's interest). Apparently, a gargoyle who was done (with what he was done with was not specified. Perhaps giving out useless information was some sort of tradition up here?) had asked a group to assimilate an army to fight the caster. The girl furrowed her brow, considering.

'Who are the adventurers?' Koss snapped. She never asked questions, and it had gotten her in trouble more than once. She was too trusting. The girl jumped at this, and the man gave her a suspiciously hard look. Koss had a sinking feeling that this odd man knew of his existence too. He bristled at the thought. Nevertheless, the girl relayed his question.

"They are four, at the moment. A dwarven fighter, and three elves, a cleric, a monk and a..." The man stopped to think for a second, before carefully, as if someone would jump out and correct him if he dared to title them wrong, finished, "gun slinger?"

'More elves' Koss complained, he had had enough of them. The young women perked up, however. They were a soft spot for her, apparently, and Koss knew that no amount of complaining, whinning, or cursing (in the least immature way possible, of course) would ever change her mind. Sulking would have to do.

The next short while was a blur of forests and towns, and then they met the adventurer's and Koss quickly grew disappointed. These people were no better than his mental jail mate. He had hoped to run into some competence but like all things in his life seemed to turn out, this was another disappointment. He tuned out a lot after that, too busy with his own petulance to pay much heed. He faintly recalled a mechanical dragon and his charge (himself as well, by extension) getting captured. No immediate danger, he had assessed. He could probably force a fusion, the guard would not notice until it was too late, and his new arms would not be bound, but watching her try to get free gave Koss a sick sort of satisfaction. He was stuck here because of her, wandering around because of her, teamed up with these idiots because of her, and really, she got captured because of her, too. She ignored him and contained him and by the gods, he wasn't going to be her easy ticket out. She would be fine, he reasoned, but it would not be because of him.

The elven cleric had come in, stopped the fighting, pacified everyone, because _of course_ she had. Because _of course_ anything in this world that could bring Koss some semblance of happiness would be snuffed out immediately. Of course. Fan-tucking-fastic. And then, he could not believe it, some low-life human druid enemy scum was welcomed into the party and he snapped, because to him, they should all be dead, and he should have been the one to do it.

"What do you think?" One of the elves asked his kidnapper.

"He seems nice" She had responded over Koss's insistent snarls, "I think it would be okay".

'WHAT?' Koss had screeched, and it was like a damn broke down, words flooding too fast to be stopped. He did not want to stop anyways. This was his body too, his life, and someone needed to tell her how things were going to start working around here. 'Listen here girl' He started, his words like stirring water, rocking the boat enough to warn, but not to tip. 'You are a fool, naive and trusting and thick headed and you can not do a damned thing on your own!' She was silent now, his words as waves, tilting her ship drastically, the water churning. She felt his rage as clearly as she would the icy rain, biting at her skin, causing her to collapse inwards on herself, to protect herself, but the storm raged on. 'You are hopeless! You invite the enemy in, you treat him as, what? A friend?' Koss laughed at that, loud and crazed and so angry that he couldn't hear his voice over the thundering of his own rage. 'He should be dead!' Lightning, and for a moment, she feared the ocean may sweep her up at last, never to return her to the world she had only discovered a few years ago. 'He should not be treated as a friend when you have treated me as an enemy!' He roared, silence falling amongst them as wood cracked, littering the sea as fallen soldiers would a battlefield.

'Koss...' She sent softly, and at once the ocean fell calm, the only remaining evidence of a storm now passed was that of the ripples in the water and the wood that was not strong enough to hold onto the ship, but _was_ determined enough to keep them company on the water's surface.

'I do not care what you think of me' He snapped, anger boiling again, the waves beginning to reform.

'I wonder' She thought, her voice like a cool breeze, 'if you knew love, would you change?' There was silence as she waited for a reply she did not truly expect to receive, and then, with a voice that was smooth and deep and tired and more honest than she had ever heard, he replied,

'I do not know. If you knew hatred, would _you_ change?'

His words were like an anchor, and all at once there was no boat in the ocean, no rippling water or raging seas, but instead, a girl sat in a cave with thoughts that were not solely her own, with the same company she had kept for twenty-one years, and there was silence. They both knew she had nothing to say to that. _Mia,_ he had thought, because out of everyone they had ever met, he figured he should at least know _her_ name.


	4. Chapter 2: Not His Kossta to Break

**AN: Welcome to the second chapter of my story! What new adventures await? ONLY I KNOW FOR SURE! I hope you enjoy the read, let me know if there's something you really liked (or didn't like!) about it. Feedback pushes perfection!**

Chapter 2: Not His Kossta to Break

Koss and his warden had never talked a lot. They were as close as two people could be, and neither liked being reminded of it. Even so, things were unusually quiet between them as the party made plans to track down giants, of all things. It was uncomfortable, and Koss had the urge to say something mean, do something aggressive, because that is what was normal for them, and at that moment, Koss needed something normal. He watched as the short man (a dwarf, if Koss was remembering correctly) lead them through the tunnels, his hammer huge in comparison to his small size. He was able to handle it without a problem, Koss supposed, but it seemed a bit unnecessary. Perhaps the man was compensating for something? The monk came back some time after heading out, followed by the dwarf, and then Koss sensed the giants, and to hell with the girl (Mia, he asserted), _this_ was what he was good at. This was _his_ fight. He pushed at her, pulling her consciousness away. She struggled. He saw the flames of the short man flaring, saw the hammer, saw the bloodlust, and he _wanted in._ She would not have her way this time. He felt his own body forming over hers, and only a moment later he was in total control. He took a moment to consider the people in front of him. He already decided he would let them be, for now at least. As much as Koss disliked the group, his human scared him when she was on her own.

"Who are you" One of the elves asked.

"I do not like small talk" Koss snapped, only partially because it was true. Really, he did not know what he would say had he felt inclined to answer anyways. The girl could pass his name on later, if she so chose, but he could not come up with it from the top of his head. A 'K' word, he was sure.

"Well, we'll just make you talk" The monk threatened. Koss scoffed at that, as if this elf could possibly match up to him. He was tempted to show him off, to teach him his place, but the scent of giants was looming closer and he had already told himself he would not kill these ones.

"If you attempt to harm me, you harm the girl" He offered, a snarky smirk lining his face. Not entirely true, but they did not need to know that. He was sure they would not try anything, they did not have the guts too. The dwarf reached out to his charge (Mia, he snarled, really, was it so hard to remember?) and Koss caught his hand. The dwarf puffed up, and then,

"Don't touch me"

"Do not touch me"

They both snarled. The dwarf was cocky, the right attitude to intimidate, Koss would give him that, but Koss was bigger and ancient and a race not even he knew, but realized was frightening, and the dwarf stood no match against that. Koss knew he had won the second he saw the dwarf's eyes light up with fear. Victory, Koss had smirked, and maybe it was a petty thing to feel so good about but it had been too long since he had got the chance to act on his own, and he was savouring it. Perhaps, in fact, he was savouring it too much, because he did not see the hammer flashing towards him until it had already smacked him, and boy did it smack. His world crashed for a second, he felt pain and confusion and perhaps he was even impressed, but only for a moment before he was filled with rage. That was not a fair shot. _He_ had scared the dwarf. _He_ had won their encounter. He went for his axe, pain shooting through his entire system, not bothering him, but certainly warning him of the damage done to his- to Mia- and he hesitated. He really was not in any shape to be fighting the small man. He could not remember the last time he had been so _mad._

"You fool" He had growled, low and smooth, but just as threatening, "Wounds inflicted on me are inflicted on her as well!" Damn his lack of resilience. Stupid dwarf.

They were uneasy for a few moments, the elven cleric moving in to heal him- more likely for the sake of the girl than his own wellbeing- and then, before he could become antsy enough to swing at the fire man, self-made promises be damned, the giants arrived, bears by their side and he happily took the distraction. The others no longer mattering, Koss approached one of the giants, swinging at him. He needed to hit something. He _needed_ it. He missed, took a beating and blipped back to the healer. Goddammit. A sideways threat and surprisingly effective heal later (the cleric could do that well, at least), Koss was running back in, smarter this time than the last. He hacked over the head of the small man, his axe and arms extending the extra distance and Koss felt the blade hit. It was almost euphoric. He kept hitting, hacking, laughing, he had not had this much fun in years, and then the giant stepped back and Koss whirled to his right. The bear had the slingshot user in a tight grasp, biting into him. Koss looked to his axe, to the man and thought about how easy it would be to bring it down on the bears neck. He thought about how easy it would be to watch the elven man suffer too and decided that, really, that was a whole lot more fun. The giant continued to step back, to creep away, and Koss was faced with a dilemma. Continue to watch the dog play with his new chew-toy, or chase down and slaughter the giant? He considered bringing his jailor back to consciousness, if only for a moment, and letting her decide. She would be so upset to see him standing in front of an ally, refusing to help them. He snorted at that. She would get the chance to see what his life had been like for the last twenty-one years, watching without being able to influence. She deserved to know how bad that was. He almost did it, if not for the fear of losing the control he had worked so hard to take. The fusion would not last much longer, but that did not mean he was willing to cut it short. He was indecisive for too long, the bear dropped the foolish man and ran back to its master, Koss only now noticing that all four individuals (both giants and both bears) had come together. It only took a second for them to disappear, teleport, Koss figured. In that moment, he could have easily become unapproachable. He could have continued forward and cut down anything that happened to be in his way. He could have screamed and cursed and growled and become the animal that fate had seen him as the second they put him on his metaphorical leash. He could wreak havoc on the world that would not allow him anything he deemed good. He did not. He did not want to be mad right now, in these last moments of control, so instead, he allowed a feeling to bubble up inside him. It may have been rage, or madness, or laughter, but he was determined to convince himself it was joy, because the giants had fled from him, and that must have meant that he won. As his control slipped, forcing him back into his eternal chamber, he decided that next time, he would have to do more than win. The girl opened her eyes, confused, she never remembers what happens when Koss is in control, and if he decided to be kind enough to fill her in on what she missed, it was certainly not so that he could fill her head with things that did not happen. There was no harm in it anyways, what Mia did not know would not hurt her.


End file.
